Machine for blocking sugar-beets



N0. 753,451. PATBNTED MAR. 1, 1904.

. J. H. UHL. MACHINE FOR BLOCKING SUGAR BEETS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 13, 1903; no MODEL. I 2 sHBsTg-snmi.

No. 753,451. PATENTED MAR; l, 1904. D

J. H. UHL. MACHINE FOR BLOCKING SUGAR BEETS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 13, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEET8-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 1, 1904. I

JOHN HJUHL, OF UNIONVILLE, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR BLOCKING SUGAR-BEETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,451, dated March 1,1904.

Application filed May 13, 1903. Serial No. 156,973. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. UHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Unionville, in the county of Tuscola and Stateof Michigan, have invented a new and useful Machine for Blocking Sugar-Beets, of which the'following is a'specification.

The invention relates to a machine for blocking sugar-beets.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive machine for blocking out sugar-beets adapted to be arranged for operating on rows of any width and capable of ready adjustment to cut or block out beets at the desired interval.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character adapted to be readily thrown into and out of operation and capable of ready adjustment to regulate the depth of the cut.

Also it is an object of the invention to provide a hoe or blade which will cut readily through the beets and soil without tearing up the latter and without interfering with the draft of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to prevent the hoes or bladesfrom sinking too deep into the ground when the machine is traveling over an uneven surface.

With these and other objects in viewthe in-. vention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the .210 companying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood I that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sugar-beet-blocking machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4: is a detail view of one of the blades or shovels.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlngs. I

l designates a main frame of approximately rectangular form provided at points slightly in rear of its center with bearings 2for an axle or shaft v3, to the ends of which are secured carrying-wheels 4. These wheels 4,

which support the machine, are provided with broad peripheries having projecting lugs adapted to engage the ground and insure the rotation of the axle.

Slidably mounted on the axle 3 is a sprocketgear 5, having three sets of sprocket-teeth of difierent diameters to enable the speed of the machine to be changed, for a purpose hereinafter explained. Instead of employing a triple sprocket-gear, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, a double or single gear may. be used, or a gear having a greater number of sprocket- .teeth may be employed. The sprocket-gear 5 receives a sprocketrchain 6, which extends forward to a sprocket-pinion 7 of a countershaft 8, disposed transversely of the machine and located at the front portion thereof. The sprocketchain may be connected with the sprocket-pinion 7 and with any one of thesets of sprocket-teeth of. the gear 5, and links may be, added to or removed from the sprocketchain-for this purpose,

. The transverse shaft 8 is connected by bevelgears 9 and 10 with the front endsof longitudinal shafts 11, which extend to the rear cured to the shafts 8 and llby set-screws, and

the. bearings 13 and 14B of the longitudinal shafts are adjustable transversely of the machine -to enable the hoes or blades to be arranged at different distances apart andtoadapt the machine for operating. onrows of beets of any width. The bearings 15 of thecounter-shaft 8 are detachable, and the said shaft .8 may be removed to facilitate any adjustment of the bevel-gears. The sprocket-pinion 7 is also .adjustably mounted on the counter-shaft and is adapted to be arranged in line with any one of the gears of the sprocketwheel 5.

The longitudinal shafts 11 are provided at their rear ends with heads or enlargements 16,

having transverse openings 17 for thefrecepheads 16 are also provided with threaded per.

forations extending inward from their outer ends and receiving clamping 'or set screws 19 for engaging the shanks of the hoes or blades 12, whereby the latter are secured at the desired adjustment. The blades or hoes have front cutting edges 20, arranged at an angle to the line of travel of the machine and provided at opposite sides with projecting flanges 1o 21, having cutting'edges and adapted to cut through the soil, whereby the hoes or blades are prevented from tearing up the ground.

The angular disposition of the cutting edge of the hoe or blade enables the same to cut through the soil and beets without being dragged in the ground by the machine, whereby it is prevented from interfering with the draft of the machine. The rear edge of the blade or hoe is set at an angle and is parallel 20 with the front cutting edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The shanks of the blades or hoes consist of rods, and they are adapted to be adjusted in the transverse openings of the heads or enlargements of the longitudinal shafts to arrange the hoes or blades for cutting the desired depth.

The rear end of the frame of the machine is provided with a wheel 22, located beneath the center of the rear end'of the machine and 0 mounted on a shaft or axle 23, which is extended at opposite sides of the wheel to form inclined arms or braces 24. These arms or braces 2 are secured to the frame of the machine at opposite sides of the center of the 3 5 rear end, and the wheel 22 is adapted to pre vent the hoes or blades from sinking too far into the soil when the machine is traveling over uneven ground.

The main sprocket-wheel 5 is provided at its inner side with a recess to receive a key 25 of the axle, and it is held in engagement with the key bya coiled spring 26, disposed on the axle 3 and engaging the outer side of the main sprocket-wheel. The main sprocket-wheel is 4. 5 moved out of engagement with the key by means of a foot-lever 27, and it is then loose on the shaft, whereby the shaft'or axle 3 will be prevented from rotating the blades or hoes. The foot-lever, which is fulcrumed on the main frame at one side of a central longitudinal bar or portion 28, is provided with a transverse arm 29, and it has a depending L-shaped arm 30. The L-shaped arm 30, which is connected with one end of the body portion of the lever,

5 5 extends parallel with the same to a point near the center thereof and depends therefrom. The depending portion is arranged to swing transversely of the machine, and when the arm 29 is depressed the said depending portion is carried into engagement with the main "sprocket-wheel 5. The main sprocket-wheel 5 may be locked out of engagement with the axle by means of a pivoted hook 31, mounted on the central bar or portion 28 of the frame of the machine.

A pair of shafts or thills 32 is connected with the front of the machine, and the shafts or thills are connected by a rear cross-bar 33, having a perforated ear 34 to receive a rod 35. The rod 35 has itsfront end bent into the form of-a hook for engaging the perforated ear, and the rear end of the rod is connected to an operating-lever 36, which is provided with a perforation for the reception of the rear end of the rod. The rear end of the rod is bent to form a pivot to fit into the perforation of the operating-lever. The operating-lever 36 is fulcrumed on a bracket 37, which is provided with a toothed segment 38, and the lever 36 has a spring-actuated dog 39 for engag- The spring-actuated dog is ing the segment. connected with the latch-lever 40, located adjacent to the grip or handle portion of the operating-lever. The operating-lever enables the position of the frame of the machine with relation to the draftanimal to be readily changed or adjusted.

A seat41 for the accommodation of the driver is mounted on the rear portion of the central bar or piece 28.

What I claim is- 1. In a machine of the class'described, the combination of a frame, an axle supporting the frame, longitudinal shafts located at opposite sides of the frame and provided at their rear ends with blades or hoes, a transverse shaft, gearing connecting the shafts, a sprocket-pinion mounted on the transverse shaft, and arranged between the longitudinal shafts and a sprocket-wheel mounted on the axle at a point between the longitudinal shafts and provided with a plurality of gears of different diameters, and a chain connecting the sprocket-wheel and the sprocketpinion, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, an axle supporting the same, longitudinal shafts located at opposite sides of the frame and provided at their rear ends with rotary blades, a transverse shaft, gearing connecting the shafts, a sprocket-pinion mounted on the transverse shaft, a sprocket wheel carried by the axle, said sprocket-wheel and pinion being located between the longitudinal shafts, a chain connecting the sprocket-wheel and pinion, and awheel located at the center of the rear portion of the frame between the longitudinal shafts to prevent the blades from sinking too far into the I soil, substantially as described.

3. Amachine of the class described provided with a rotating hoe or bladehaving a cutting edge arranged at an angle to the direction of-movement of the machine, said blade or hoe being also provided at opposite sides with flanges extending from the blade at an angle and provided with cutting edges, substantially as described.

4;. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a shank secured ter being also provided With cutting edges,

substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, a longitudinal shaft, a shank extending from the shaft, and a blade carried by the shank and having angularlydisposed front and rear edges and provided with side flanges, substantially as described.

7 In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame provided With Wheels, a longitudinal shaft actuated by the latter, and

a rotating blade or hoe connected With and carried by the shaft, and set at an angle to the direction of movement of the machine,whereby it is adapted to cut through the soil without dragging the same, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame provided with Wheels, a shaft, a rotating blade or hoe carried by the shaft and set at an angle to the direction of movement of the machine and provided at opposite sides with projecting flanges, whereby the blade or hoe is adapted to out through the soil Without tearing up or dragging the same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN H; UHL.

Witnesses:

J. C. PURDY, O. A. HOFMEISTER. 

